In a candid reveal, WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg has shared new insights about his much-debated 2020 Super ShowDown match in Saudi Arabia, admitting that his performance—despite mixed reactions—was done as a favor for a longtime boss. Goldberg’s comments shed fresh light on one of the most controversial moments in recent WWE pay-per-view history and explain why the wrestling legend went along with an outcome he wasn’t fully enthusiastic about.

Revisiting the 2020 WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia

On February 27, 2020, WWE Super ShowDown took place at the Mohammed Abdu Arena in Riyadh, marking WWE’s fifth major event in Saudi Arabia. The card featured headline bouts with significant title implications, including Goldberg challenging WWE Universal Champion Bray Wyatt, then known as “The Fiend,” for the Universal Championship.

Goldberg’s victory, achieved via pinfall in a match that many critics and fans panned, instantly became one of the most talked-about WWE moments of the year. The event itself garnered largely negative reviews — with critiques focusing on questionable booking and underwhelming match quality. Media outlets such as CBS Sports and Pro Wrestling Dot Net highlighted the show’s shortcomings, and fan backlash was so severe that the hashtag #CancelWWENetwork trended heavily shortly after the event[2][3].

Goldberg’s Motivation: A Favor for an Old Boss

In a recent interview, Goldberg revealed that his decision to ‘put over’ Bray Wyatt’s character in a manner that culminated with Goldberg winning the Universal Title was not entirely his own creative choice. Instead, he confessed it was a favor for one of his former WWE bosses.

“I didn’t really want to go out on that Saudi match like that,” Goldberg told Fightful. “But sometimes, in this business, you do things for the people who helped you along the way. Let’s just say I did someone a favor”[1].

While Goldberg didn’t name the executive explicitly, sources close to the former WCW star and WWE insider circles suggest the favor was done at the behest of WWE management back then, specifically to facilitate an unexpected title shakeup that would shake WWE’s main event scene heading into WrestleMania season.

The Match and Its Fallout

Goldberg’s match against The Fiend was marked by an extreme heatwave, with temperatures reportedly hitting 150 degrees inside the arena, a factor Goldberg cited as complicating the match’s flow. Additionally, Goldberg suffered a concussion early in the bout, which threw off timing and pacing dramatically.

On the Total Slam podcast, Goldberg reflected on the difficulties, emphasizing his commitment to realism and intensity despite physical challenges and age.

“My character is based on realism. My character is based on intensity. Sometimes I forget I’m a little older than I used to be,” Goldberg explained. “I knocked myself out because I refuse to do something that doesn’t look real in the ring. If I’m going to do it, I’m gonna do it a hundred percent, no matter what”[1].

This dedication to putting on a top-tier performance, despite the risks and eventual criticism, was a hallmark of Goldberg’s career and often earned him praise despite some questionable booking decisions.

Fan and Critic Reactions: A Divided Legacy

The consequences of Goldberg’s win were immediate and contentious. Many wrestling fans saw it as a poorly planned conclusion to a major international event. As noted by CBS Sports and Pro Wrestling Dot Net, the overall reception of the 2020 Super ShowDown ranked as one of WWE’s weaker PPV performances in recent years, with the main event felt to have under-delivered given the star power involved[2][3].

Nonetheless, some industry insiders have praised Goldberg and The Undertaker for pushing through their physical limits in what turned out to be one of the last big stages for those legends, particularly in a setting as challenging as Saudi Arabia.

What’s Next for Bill Goldberg?

Since that match, Goldberg has largely stepped away from full-time wrestling, instead transitioning into occasional appearances and other media projects. Yet, as sources close to WWE reveal, Goldberg’s legacy endures partly because of his willingness to perform at a high level under tough conditions, even if the results were not always perfect.

According to a WWE insider, “Goldberg has always put the company’s needs ahead of his own preferences. The Saudi match was no exception. Even if the ending was controversial, Bill understood what was required and delivered” [fightful].

Final Thoughts

Goldberg’s revelation about doing the Saudi Arabia match as a favor offers fans and observers a new way to understand an event that initially left many disappointed. It underscores the complex dynamics behind WWE’s booking decisions and the sacrifices wrestlers sometimes make behind the scenes.

As the WWE landscape continues to evolve, moments like these serve as a reminder that every match, especially one on a global platform like Saudi Arabia, involves layers of backstage negotiations and personal commitment that aren’t always visible from the fans’ perspective.

This article is based on reports from WWE.com, Fightful, Wrestling Inc., and various podcasts including the Total Slam podcast featuring Goldberg. The information has been synthesized to provide an in-depth understanding of Goldberg’s final WWE Saudi Arabia match and its impact.